Some of us are filled with excitement at the thought of school vacation with our children and are full of ideas to entertain them, while others are less thrilled at the prospect. Just because they are on vacation doesn’t mean work and the demands of life can be put on pause. After all, the summer is the busiest time of the year on the Peninsula as tourists flock to the area. “I’m bored!” might be something we will hear more than once. As parents or guardians is that something we should rush to fix?
A large amount of research indicates that we should not immediately try and fix our children’s problem when they say they are bored. A BBC article recommended that children be allowed to get bored so that they can start to explore their own creativity, their imagination, and find their own motivation to fix their problem. The article quoted Dr. Belton, an expert on the impact of emotions on behavior and learning. He believes that boredom can feel uncomfortable for children, but that it is good for them to learn to deal with being uncomfortable. With so much technology at our disposal children are developing the need, an addiction, to be constantly stimulated and entertained.
“Find something to do!” might not be the most constructive thing for you to say while our children are first learning how to deal with their perceived problem of being bored. One idea, that has had good results in our family, is to brainstorm and make a list of all the things that could happen during the vacation and then put it in a visible spot.
- As you make the list with them, show them how to think of things to do. Reflect on fun things they have done in the past and could maybe do again.
- You might already have some big activities or travel planned, but don’t forget to add in the simple things too.
- Make sure some of the ideas are easy for your children to do alone.
- Some ideas might take some planning to come to fruition. Involve your children in that planning. “Can you write a list so we don’t forget what to take for lunch on the beach?”
- Remember that vacation can be a time when our children take a backward slide with reading, math, and language acquisition. Remind them that they won’t want to return to school and feel behind. Add in opportunities to read, write and use their new language in authentic situations.
- Learning doesn’t just happen at school. With a varied list of ideas, learning can take place all the time. On the day your child plans to bake cookies they will be reading a recipe, checking they have what they need, writing a shopping list, following instructions, learning through trial and error, and doing science!
- Make sure screen time or electronics are not the automatic go-to.
- Keep adding to the list as new ideas come up.
“I’m bored” can become a bit of a habit for children. Our normal response might come from a place of frustration. Remember it is ok for our kids to be bored sometimes, and that with some gentle redirection and some new tools they should start being able to cope with that uncomfortable feeling of not being entertained all the time and be quicker to discover new things to do.
References and further reading:
Richardson, Hannah. “Children Should Be Allowed to Get Bored, Expert Says.” BBC News. 22 Mar. 2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/education-21895704
Rosenthal, Lisa. “Stop Summer Brain Drain | Parenting.” Parenting. 11 Mar. 2016. http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/stop-brain-drain/
